Austronesian Empire, Imperial Maharlika, Mindanao

2000, 3, 1st Week, January

The sun stood high in the sky, shining more brightly than ever before. On a far distance, an object moved like a flash of lightning piercing the heavens. As moments passed, the small object flew over several islands in the Visaya Region of the Imperial Maharlika.

These were the eyes in the sky, the Austronesia’s most advanced recon drones.



In a military base somewhere in the country, several personnel watched the displays in front of them, observing the drone's journey over Mindanao.

Using satellites would have been easier, but after losing two of their most valuable pieces of equipment in space, they couldn't risk it again.

As they examined Mindanao's dire state, their only comment was that the entire land was completely lifeless.

There were no trees, no signs of life.

Literally everything was gone, as if they were observing the barren landscape of another planet like Mars.

Apart from the dozens of giant craters made by nuclear bombs, they discovered that 96% of the island was now uninhabitable. Not only that, the marine life in the surrounding waters can be seen floating lifelessly on the surface.

Whatever bomb the government had unleashed, it seemed to have wiped out all life indiscriminately.

"It looks like we managed to kill all the demons," one military personnel remarked.

"Yeah, and I recall the 19th Black Armored Division was there fighting against the enemy forces," another replied. "Seeing the place in this lifeless state, I doubt any of them survived."

"Good riddance for these scums," a third chuckled. "I never understood why the government wanted to keep them. Whether they had unique weapons or intimidating appearances, their bigotry had no place in this nation."

Many people in the room nodded in agreement as they commented on those military groups.

Just as they were about to end the recon mission, one of the personnel spotted something shocking.

"Did the military send any forces to Mindanao?"

His question confused the people in the room. They didn't recall any command to send troops to the island, not yet, at least.

A few personnel approached and looked at the display in front of him, eyes widening in shock.

"No way!"

"How is this possible? Is this supposed to be somewhere near Lake Lanao?"

"Is this a miracle?"

The exclamations drew the attention of the surrounding people, who gathered with curious looks. Upon seeing the display, their expressions mirrored the shock of the initial observers, sparking heated debates.

What they saw were thousands of soldiers in black armor roaming the desolate lands of Mindanao. They were baffled, unable to comprehend how these soldiers could be there.

"Call the Emperor! He needs to hear this!"

————————————————————

In the desolate lands of Mindanao, thousands of soldiers from the 19th Black Armored Division were combing through the area, searching for survivors and clearing out any remaining enemies that might have survived the blast.



"Targets confirmed to be dead," one Black Armor Soldier reported, staring at the sea of demon corpses filling the whole area.

"That Dinosaur was insane," another soldier remarked as he and a dozen other soldiers surrounded the corpse of the Tyrannotitan.

"I remember that thing stomped us like we were just insects," another one added. "Glad I was resurrected and got a chance to see its dead body," he said, spitting its body with a scowl, "Hangal na asong babae (Stupid bitch)."

Moments after Rasera's unexpected spell, the Black Armor army suddenly found themselves in a desolate landscape filled with the corpses of demons. When they turned to the source of the magic, they saw the Elven Queen, who had returned to her normal form after expending her remaining mana.

The soldiers were about to demand answers, but the Major General unexpectedly intervened, saving her and explaining the situation.

Trusting their Major General, they decided to resume their tasks.

Melian, holding her head, seemed to recall everything from the battle against the Archdemons, summoning the Seraph Empyrean, and the Goddess saving these humans for some strange reason.

Perhaps that was why she wasn't confused about her position when the Goddess left her body.

The dark, ashen clouds that had blanketed the skies of Mindanao all day were slowly being pierced by rays of light, brightening patches of the land. Melian and the Black Armored Army stood in one of these rays, bathed in blinding light.

Many soldiers had their helmets off, catching their breath as medics patched up their injuries.

As they rested, General Trese spotted dozens of cargo helicopters landing nearby. From them emerged forces of the Liberation Army.

Among the new arrivals was someone Trese recognized.

"Well, I'll be damned. I'm very surprised to see you all survive. Job well done," said a military soldier, who appeared to be the commander, smiling at Trese.

"Is that the only reason you came here? To tell us we did a good job?" Trese asked the military commander as she stared at him oddly.

"Nope. We're also here to assist you and your army," the military commander replied. "The name's Colonel Kain Thompson. I've heard a lot about you and your army's achievements. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, extending his hand for a handshake.

Trese accepted, "I'm Alexandre Trese. It's a pleasure to meet you too. Some people have also told me about your past experiences with the Imperial Secret Police."

"I see. Where is the Major General?" he asked.

"He's speaking with the Alien Witch."

"You mean the Elf Queen? She's alive? Thank goodness. The officials will be happy to hear this."

"But I'm not happy at all," Trese said with a frown. "From what I’ve seen, the Major General seems to get along with that elf."

Kain chuckled. "Let's move past that. I know our armies have some political differences, but I hope we can come to an understanding in this situation," he said, winking his eyes at the woman.

Trese narrowed her eyes, "Yeah..."

——————————————————————

Two people could be seen letting out a huge sigh while sitting on the ground, staring at the beautiful clear night sky as the sun began to rise, casting its light upon the darkness below.

The two individuals gazed at it in amazement as silence hung in the air. It was how one admires the beauty of something, silently without saying a word but to watch, and it was what Melian and General Francisco were doing as they watched the rising sun in the sky while daydreaming in the middle of a desolate wasteland.

"So it's finally over?" the person, which is none other than the Elven Queen, spoke.

"Pretty much. Those demons have likely faced the Lord's judgment by now," Francisco replied. After a moment, a thought crossed his mind. "From what you said about the state of your world, I have to be honest, I feel pity... but only for my race though. The enslavement of humans disgusts me."

"Didn't you say you humans had a similar history? From what I heard, your army shares some similarities with those... Confederacy?" Melian asked.

Francisco scoffed, "A far-right Filipino nationalist and those in 1800s America had almost similar ideals, but one of the differences that separates us from them is that we HATE slavery. Even if you put a Klu Klux Klan member and a random soldier of mine in the same room, they still won't get along, instead they'd likely kill each other."

"...Oh," Melian mumbled. Although every word coming from the Major General's mouth is completely foreign to her, her brain automatically absorbed the new information.

"What about the people in your country? I've heard it's similar to those medieval Europeans in my world," the Major General asked, "God, I hope it's not like one of those Irishmen, or better yet, an Englishmen with a dress."

Melian wouldn't laugh at this, but she couldn't help but do it as new information entered her mind.

"Not really. They are not like those Irishmen, but I think there is a nation similar to them," Melian said, "Now that I have finished explaining about myself, what about you? What's your story?"

Francisco smiled, "I am a lifelong Catholic, the most famous religion in my world, from a small town in Luzon, the northern region of this great country. I had a normal life until I went through many careers, especially the one in Italy," he said, but then his expression darkened.

"After the fascist party returned to power and purged the Vatican Church, I went back home and joined the military, rising through the ranks until I became a Major General. I slowly created my own military faction and waited for the Fifth World War so I can whoop their asses! However, when the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia formed the Austronesian Empire, I saw my country's old cultures slowly fading. I heard you're a reformist, so you might hear it from a person who slightly opposes it."

"I do understand your love for your culture, General," Melian nodded. "I'm a reformist and wanted to change things for the better of my country because of its terrible state. Most elves in my country, and even some individuals with fascist ideologies in yours, mine would probably be an extreme in comparison."

Francisco smiled. "Glad we came to an understanding. Fortunately, the Emperor and many political parties have already discussed this and found a near-perfect balance between liberalism and conservatism, which seemed impossible at first."

"And back to your military career, how has it been over the years?"

The Major General shrugged. "Good. Many people know I'm biased in my recruitment. That's why my army is filled with ultranationalists, religious zealots, racists, far-right, and other stuff that people call us and me, which I don't give a damn about. But..."

The Major General suddenly burst into laughter, which almost startled Melian.

"What's so funny?"

"Sorry, I couldn't help but laugh at people calling me a Nazi," he said, laughing again. "I'm an insane old bastard, yes, but a Nazi? If I were a Nazi, I wouldn't have commanded an entire squad to slaughter their science lab for their super-soldier project without mercy, or kill Hitler during the siege of Berlin in the Second World War and dropped his body in the Mariana Trench during my younger days! But that's what people call others they politically dislike, it happens on both sides."

"I see," Melian nodded, slightly surprised to hear he was the one who killed the dictator and received no respect for it. Was he lying? No, she sensed he wasn't. Did he do it in secret? Probably.

"And your 'God' Lord Jesus Christ. I have listened to your prayers with your commanding officers, and he sounds different than I have heard before..." Melian said, perplexed by the Major General's earlier proclamations as she stared at him with her golden eyes.

Francisco laughed, "Amen, I say to you, Alien Witch. That means 'so be it.' You now know who I believe in. But tell me, Florida... uh Mel...ian... uh Shell-barry... Who or what do you believe in?"

"The Goddess Rasera, of course. Although she doesn't have many followers, only the Kingdom of High Tarxan and a few nations worship her."

"So that one who possessed you is a minor deity, eh? I have little care for other people's religions, but meeting with that Goddess made me feel a bit of respect for both of you."

Melian smiled. "Glad to hear that."

Standing up from the floor, the Major General looked straight ahead, inhaling deeply before letting out his breath.

"I respect your religion, Alien Witch," he said, smiling at the Elf. "And you better respect mine, unlike most of those Satanist and Scientific Nerd bastards. If anyone does not love or respect the Lord Jesus Christ, let them be accursed at His coming. God save you from your fate!"

Hearing his proud words, Melian smiled. Learning about new religions from others was quite nice for her, whether they were true or not.

But then, she recalled something she had forgotten to mention.

"The weapon you mention. Project Exterminātas... what was it?"

Hearing her question, the air seemed to freeze, and Melian sensed the temperature drop for a moment.

"It's a weapon beyond any conventional nuclear weapons," the Major General answered coldly. "Are you sure you want to hear it? The information in that classified document I read even scarred me for life."

Melian looked at him solemnly. "I have seen monsters and gods that could destroy kingdoms. It might be no different."

Giggling at her words, Francisco began to explain everything, and Melian couldn't help but feel baffled by how she could comprehend the General's words, even though most of them were completely foreign to her.

From what the Major General explained, the classified document he read was that Project Exterminātas was described as a highly advanced warhead designed to release immense amounts of energy upon detonation. The warhead likely consists of a combination of high-yield explosives and possibly exotic matter or energy sources to maximize their destructive potential.

They are equipped with powerful propulsion systems and hardened outer shells to withstand atmospheric entry and impact. This suggests that this mechanism was used for the weapon to penetrate deep into the earth.

And upon detonation, the weapon will release a tremendous amount of energy, which likely results from a combination of chemical explosives, nuclear fusion or fission reactions, or even exotic technologies harnessing "antimatter" or other high-energy phenomena, which are highly redacted when Francisco reads its files.

The resulting shockwave and thermal radiation would cause widespread geological upheaval and environmental devastation.

Beyond the immediate destruction, the detonation of the weapon can alter the climate and atmosphere. The release of gaseous and particulate matter into the air can lead to long-term effects such as global cooling, acid rain, or toxic fallout, further contributing to the area's uninhabitability.

Upon hearing all of this, Melian could only guess at the nature of the weapon the Major General was describing.

"...So they built a world-destroying weapon," Melian said, shuddering at the thought. "W-Why would they build such a thing?"

"...In a world where war and conflict are common, and where new technologies and weapons are invented every day, it's only a matter of time before humanity creates something extreme," he said with a frown. "I'm an insane old bastard, I admit, but sometimes the ruling government can be even more insane than I am. Cold-blooded and ruthless, all for the 'greater good.'"

"Greater good? By building something that could even cause the extinction of your own race? Why??"

"...Because war never changes."

"Is there even a chance of peace or mercy in your world?"

Francisco sighed. "There is a musical play called *Epic the Musical*, where a famous quote from the God of the Sea in Greek mythology says to the Greek Hero Odysseus..."

"Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves."

As Melian continued to digest what she had heard, the Major General stared at the sky, lost in thought.

"But I'm still confused," he said. "The weapon was described as capable of wiping out the North American Empire or an entire continent entirely, but it only affected most of Mindanao, which is small in comparison. Could it be a miscalculation? Besides the immediate destruction, the detonation of the weapon should alter the climate and atmosphere. Its gaseous and particulate matter should lead to long-term effects like global cooling, acid rain, or toxic fallout, yet none of that happened. We're still alive. Just how? Did the document lie? Is their hypothesis or theories wrong?"

Hearing this, Melian shook her head, because she already knew the answer to this.

"None of the things you said were correct though. I think I know why that weapon didn't destroy this whole country or cause the effects you described. This world you are in has also the power to-"

"Major General!"

But then, Black Armor soldier approached them.

"What is it, soldier?"

"...We found something. Best if you take a look at it."

——————————————————

After walking through the lifeless wasteland for a period of time, they stopped where the soldier had directed them.

"What in God's name is this?" Francisco asked, staring at the strange sight.

In front of the group, a small red ball floated in the air, somehow survived and seemed to radiate demonic energy. Any soldiers who tried to approach the ball sensed something horrifying and immediately stepped back.

The only one unfazed was Melian as she approached the ball confidently.

"Alien Witch, what are you doing?" the Major General shouted. "What is that thing?"

"That's the heart of the Demon Lord," Melian said. Her answer sent a shiver through the soldiers, but the Major General's hatred only grew.

Standing before the ball, Melian used the small amount of divine energy she had left from the Goddess to form a magical sphere around it, preventing any demonic energy from leaking out.

"In my studies, it is said that Demon Lords are Spiritual Life Forms. They won't die unless their souls are destroyed. If there is a power that could threaten their souls, they seal it in an orb before their physical body is destroyed. The problem for them now is that they are vulnerable in that state."

"So... what do we do with this?" one of the soldiers asked, pointing at the heart.

Approaching Melian with a solemn look, Francisco took the orb from her hands.

"We're destroying it," he answered, placing the orb on the ground. He looked at one of the soldiers and ordered, "Give me your rifle."

Nodding his head, the soldier handed his rifle to the Major General. He raised the gun and aimed at the heart, ready to shoot the Demon Lord's heart to pieces, when a radio call came through everyone's comms.

[Hold your fire, General Agraviador.]

"What the…?"

"Who is this?" Melian asked through the comms that the General had given her.

[Hello, your Majesty. I am the Emperor of this nation. Emperor Juran Delroy Maximo.] The person, who reveals to be the Emperor himself, said to them.

Learning it was the Emperor himself, the group exchanged glances as Melian continued to speak, "Hello, Your Majesty. Why are you calling us?"

[I want to say first great job at handling such a big threat and succeeding. I'm also surprised you survived, General. But I've heard what you both said about this heart. And now I like you to keep it intact.]

"WHAT?!" The Major General and his soldiers reacted with outrage.

In absolute anger, Francisco shouted, "Listen here you! These abominations nearly destroyed our beloved country, killed tens of millions of people, and our fellow soldiers, and NOW YOU'RE TELLING US TO KEEP THE ONLY THING THAT CAN BRING BACK THOSE MONSTERS?!"

[I know this seems wrong to you but we need to learn more about this heart for research and scientific purposes. And if possible, we could utilize it. So do not destroy it.]

"To hell with your science club and progressiveness! Do you even hear what you are saying?! You are literally trying to research the soul of a Devil! I'm breaking this damn thing now!!"

[If ANY of you try to destroy it, there will be serious consequences. And I mean very serious ones.]

"Are you threatening me?" Francisco asked in a serious tone.

[We already made an agreement, General. We allow you as you please, such as learning classified documents and multiple blueprints of unique weapons from the Science Department and the Weapon Engineering Department, but if you go against the orders of someone as high-ranking as me, things can go horribly wrong for you. Don't forget we gave you all the most freedom, the most advanced weapons, and the most living privileges out of any forces of the Liberation Army, but we can take all of it away from you and your faction as well in an instant.]

[And think of it as a trade, your Majesty. The heart and our support to you,] he said to the Elven Queen with a gentle tone.

"What are you trying to say, Juan?" The Major General asked venomously.

[All I'm just saying is that follow our orders, your division will not suffer from your choices. You and I are not the villains of this story. We do what we do to keep humanity safe and have to make choices that involve great risk, even if it's inhumane and costing our own humanity in the process. You have a choice.]

"Yeah, I choose you to go fuck yourself!"

[The decision will not be placed on you, General. It will be hers.]

Turning his head around, the Major General looked at Melian, who was feeling conflicted.

[Choose wisely, your Majesty. And take the correct one.] the Emperor urged.

Melian took a few minutes to weigh her options. She could destroy the heart in this instant and make sure that nothing bad happened, but she thought of the consequences. She knew they won't hurt her or her people, but the huge problem will be her losing the government's crucial support needed to save her country.

But if she keeps the Demon Lord's soul intact, there is a chance where the Demon Lord has returned and will unleash chaos and destruction once again.

Going deep in her thoughts for a couple of minutes, Melian lets out a huge sigh and made her decision.

"I accept. You will have the heart."

[You made the right choice. We will officially support you in reclaiming what is rightfully yours, and we will do our best to keep the Heart from falling into the wrong hands and keep it secured. You've done well today. I expect a lot of great things from you in the future. Terminating call.]

By his words, the radio call ended, leaving an uneasy silence.

"Are you out of your mind?!" The Major General grabbed Melian by the collar and shouted angrily at her.

"I'm doing this for the both of us, General. I get the support from the government, and they won't interfere with your activities. Plus, your nation and the Goddess will be better prepared if the Demon Lord is revived. And if I reclaim the throne of my nation, I will use all my power to support you all."

"You little…"

With all the self-control and the mental mastery in his being, Francisco calmed down and thought of the conversation Melian and the Emperor had.

"Just... make sure this decision doesn't come back to bite us in the ass."

Sighing in relief and a bit surprised by Francisco's self-control, Melian added, "So long have we kept a watchful eye on the heart, my decision won't come back to bite us in the... 'ass'. Alright?"

Nodding his head, Francisco released Melian, though his expression remained stern.

"Give 20 or 10 years or less, it will backfire on us, and I probably won't live that long anyway."

"Noted," Melian replied, picking up the heart from the ground. As they headed back, she couldn't help but feel the weight of her decision.

"Fucking politicians," Francisco muttered under his breath.

—————————————————————

Austronesian Empire, Imperial Maharlika, Luzon, Manila, Underground Bunker Of Malacanang Palace.

2000, 4, 1st Week, January

The next day...

Television chatters fill the room. In front of the numerous televisions with faces of it were the People's Emperor Maximo. For the past few minutes now, the ashen look on his face has never taken a break nor left him.

There are many thoughts inside of his head that are better left unsaid, but one of the main things there is concern and worry.

He was concerned for the wellbeing of his people and worried about what might befall them if the Empire crumbled and was occupied by barbarians around them.

And so, the meeting continued.

The war against the demons had finally ended, though a small number still lurked in hiding throughout the nation. Consequently, a massive cleanup operation was launched. Fortunately, casualties were fewer than in previous reports.

Regarding the battle in Marawi City, the government was completely baffled to learn that the 19th Black Armored Division had survived with fewer than a hundred deaths.

As it turned out, the giant Angel they saw through the satellite feed might have something to do with it.

While some officials were initially disappointed, this military faction's usefulness and unique technology made them leave that thought.

But aside from that for now, there is another major problem that would threaten the lives of the people of Austronesia.

Slavery and the ravaging of the motherland would be inevitable if they did not act swiftly. For the greater good of Austronesia and humanity as a whole, the government must not fall.

Immediate recovery efforts must begin, with a strong emphasis on a national patriotic war to defend the motherland at all costs.

The civilian factories and, importantly, the military factories must be quickly rebuilt and expanded. Luckily, the motherland is rich in countless unimaginable resources, which they must exploit and take advantage of.

Given that their enemies consider humans in this world as inferior and slaves, they will not tolerate such a powerful nation such as them to exist. They may attack everywhere in every direction possible.

Therefore, recommissioning old warships is a must, especially as Austronesia is composed of thousands of islands. If the need arises, even those warships that haven't been refitted will be deployed to the battlefield.

As of now with the current state of things, they will be forced to rely on old military equipment, such as old firearms, vehicles, and other military assets. They must utilize everything they have available to hold their ground. Furthermore, they are sure that they will be invaded the moment their existence is revealed to the world.

Therefore, they would need to patrol the seas more intensely as never before, so that they could dispose of anything and neutralize any threats approaching their territory. Military warships and such will escort and protect civilian ships from enemy ships, sea monsters, and any foreign threat.

Maritime laws will become much stricter. Any vessel trespassing into restricted waters will be shot without hesitation, and they will also shoot those from the outside that trespass to oblivion, whether if they were military or civilian. Such stringent measures are necessary.

After all, you could never remove curiosity from people. There will and there will always be people who are daring enough to investigate into something that shouldn't be looked at.

Thankfully, according to the reports that they had received earlier, it seemed like that the oil wells on different areas of the oceans are intact and can be used. However, the major problems lie with the oil refineries.

The storm has severely damaged most of them, causing leaks that require immediate cleanup operations.

Additionally, they only have about a few months of fuel reserves left, and so they must restore those oil refineries into working condition as soon as possible.

Crude oil wouldn't be useful if it is not being refined into any usable oil products.

These were some of the major points that have been encountered at the meeting, which continues as the situation evolves.

"This is excellent, Your Majesty. Thanks to you, we have gained someone from this world that is willing to trade with us if we help her reclaim the throne in her kingdom," a politician announced.

"Shouldn't we just use her to blackmail the country?" one of the general staff suggested.

"If we do that, we are no different from them. We are a civilization that has been through countless tragedies. It is better to treat our partners with fairness. As a nation that was brutally colonized by the West, I believe we should all understand this," another politician responded.

"Fair enough," The general staff conceded defeat.

The emperor Maximo smiled at the conversation as he felt pleased at the end of its conclusion. He knew there is no long-term benefit if they treat their partners as someone lower or inferior to them.

They must, after all, treat them equally with dignity. However, if the other side treated them inhumanely and, most importantly, their people, then a counterattack is a must. They had treated them with dignity, and if it was rejected, they had to defend their own dignity no matter what.

"For the meantime, we should gather as much intelligence as possible on our adversaries. Furthermore, to rile up the masses for the upcoming war, I believe we should send some of our men into these other world countries and capture videos of them committing inhuman acts against our fellow kind," a general staff member suggested.

"Even though I don't like standing by and doing nothing, I understand that we have no choice as of the moment, so I will agree with you on that." a politician replied.

"Additionally, the videos and images that will be taken could be used to expand our influence and serve as justification for a national liberation war. We should proceed with this plan. Sooner or later, they will declare war on us, so let us just prepare those things for the masses. If possible, we should also mount a rescue operation for the humans in those countries," Emperor Maximo said.

After hearing the thoughts of their emperor, the others agreed to him, as what he said indeed made sense. This could indeed serve as a rallying point to rally humanity to the top once again.

"Then we should deploy all the nuclear submarines we have and send agents to each country to establish an intelligence network, too. Even though we have our remaining satellites above us, it is still much better to get it through firsthand."

"Now, the only thing we can do is to weather this great tragedy that has befallen us. We must use all means to survive in this dangerous world. For the greater sake of humanity, we must hold fast," Emperor Maximo declared.

The emperor and the other officials and general staff were all satisfied with the meeting and so they decided to wrap it up.

"I declare this meeting adjourned!"

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A/n: Hello guys, this is the last chapter for Volume 1 of FLOANA. I hope you enjoyed reading this volume and don't forget to vote and write many Comments for it helps me stay motivated! Stay Tuned! :)

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In a dark cold world, there stood a dark castle at the very precipice of a massive mountain.

The mountain was so massive that it made Mount Everest look like an infant. It is shrouded in darkness, and obsidian clouds floated ominously above everything.

Black grains of sand danced in the air as this single ominously gigantic castle elegantly sat at the heights of majesty.

Several massive houses and colossal structures declared the landmark at the center. However, no matter how grand or glamorous everything was, they were all submerged in inky black.

And the darkest of all... remained the castle.

Within the great structure, past its imposing gates, and inside the throne-room of absolute splendor, a being currently lay on his pile of treasures that formed a throne.

Multiple precious tones were mixed together with only the purest kinds of magic items that level worlds.

Purple crystals that radiate chaotic energy grew all around the absurd, yet immensely beautiful throne on which the great being was casually laying on.

The throne was vertically huge, but more so horizontally long, so it could contain the huge form of the one who occupied it.

It had a soft cushion, so there was no way they would get uncomfortable.

No one else was in the throne room except him, and due to his eyes being closed, it was clear that he was currently asleep.

However, the two eyes of the slumbering entity slowly fluttered open.

"Strange..."

As he opened his mouth, a deep voice echoed throughout the throne room, causing reality itself to tremble.

The glowing crimson eyes of this entity pierced the darkness, illuminating the room.

"One of my children is dead...?"

This being was what could be described as a demon, and not just any kind of demon.

He was the Demon King himself, ruler of the Dark Realm.

His current situation was a perplexing one, as one of his children had met an untimely death.

The reason he could detect it wasn't due to a strong paternal bond between himself and his children, but the 'Bloodline Connection' that all Monarchs had with their progeny.

He couldn't help but be connected to them, and once one life was snuffed out, he would instantly know.

"Which one was it? All of my childrens were Prince or Princess-rank. Hmm... ahh..."

It didn't take long for the Demon King to identify the one who was dead.

"Andrew Medium, right? That was his name... I think."

He squinted his eyes and his face frowned, almost as if merely saying the name of the deceased Demon Lord brought nothing but a bitter taste to his mouth.

That was how much he detested him.

'The weakest of my offspring. Shame upon my lineage...'

He had been so ashamed of his idiotic and lazy son that he couldn't keep him in the Netherrealm, so he assigned him a job as a miner in those weak and insignificant manaless worlds.

'He was a miner, if I'm not wrong. Ahh, yes... that's about right.'

The resources he got from these manaless worlds were quite subpar, all things considered.

Since mana didn't flow as densely over there or was simply lacking compared to the Netherrealm and other mana-rich worlds, it was a given that their resources would be of lesser quality.

However, since they were at least useful for something, the job that his useless son had made him contribute at least a little bit towards his kingdom.

'His death isn't really consequential. It's not like we won't live or function well without those riches. But…'

The Demon King narrowed his eyes, staring emptily into space as he growled silently.

The entire dimension of the netherrealm began to tremble in the presence of his almighty power.

'…How exactly did he die in a weak and insignificant world?'

Rage, mixed with disgust and disappointment, began to swirl within him,

He was embarrassed that he had a son like that. Even in death, the useless bastard continued bringing shame to the legacy of Chaos.

'He got himself killed among the humans? Is this some sort of joke?'

Sure, Andromalius wasn't the strongest of the Demon Lords, but he was still a Demon Lord at the Duke rank, far above any demons below him.

His mere presence alone was enough to destroy a low-level world.

'Are there mana or any other races in that world? I don't think so.'

He sensed that the world beyond the Gate, which was collapsing upon his son's death and was created by his son's cult followers, was manaless. Manaless worlds were usually populated by humans, who often made such worlds their playground.

The truth was... humans were hilariously weak.

Regardless of whether the world was mana-rich or not, humans were consistently the weakest of all races in his record.

Even in a mana-rich world, they barely had any natural abilities or talents, and none of their features gave them any major advantage in battle.

They were nothing more than cannon fodder to be used when training weaker Noble-class demons.

A single competent Baron-rank demon could probably alter the entire scope of battle if they were sent.

He could have even sent his useless child, and the fool would have been able to annihilate most of the humans there.

'And yet… that idiot lost to them?'

The Demon King shifted on his throne, feeling the cushion pressed against his body.

'What a curious development. How did they defeat him? Did they gang up on him? Was it an ambush? Were there special circumstances behind it?'

The Demon King had to admit that he was curious.

As his eyes shone brighter, the six horns on his head became more pronounced.

'Is it possible that humans are way stronger there? Or rather... "he" intervened.'

Somehow, he doubted it.

'Either way, I think this is worth investigating.' He slowly closed his eyes and returned his posture to the way it was before.

As he got comfortable, he had one trailing thought.

'…I'll look into it as soon as I wake up.'

With that, the Demon King returned to his slumber.

This single act alone not only saved humanity from extinction at the hands of an entity of overwhelming power, but it also saved all of the inhabitants, including the Gods, in that New World.

They just didn't know it yet.

[End of Volume 1]